1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for fabricating a mask, a method for fabricating a patterned thin film and a micro device with the patterned thin film.
2. Related Art Statement
In the fabrication of a micro device with a patterned thin film, the patterned thin film is formed by utilizing a patterned resist mask. Herein, the “micro device” means a small-sized device formed by means of film-forming technique, and encompasses a semiconductor device, a thin film magnetic head, a sensor with a thin film, a actuator with a thin film and the like.
The patterned thin film is also formed by means of dry-etching (which is described as a milling patterning method in Patent Document 1), lift-off, the combination thereof or the like utilizing a mask.
Since the mask is made of a resist film through patterning process, the resist film is also made of a resist material suitable for the patterning process. As the resist material are exemplified an NQD-novolak resist (naphthaquinonediazide-novolak resist: Patent document 2), an integral type NGD-novolak resist (Patent document 3), an integral type hydrophobic NQD-novolak resist (Patent document 4) and a chemically amplified resist with polyhydroxystyrene (Patent document 5).
In the micro device such as a semiconductor device, a thin film magnetic head, a sensor with a thin film and an actuator with a thin film, it is often required that two kinds of patterned thin films are formed via a minute gap. In this case, conventionally, the first patterned thin film is formed via a given resist mask, which is removed later, and the second patterned thin film is formed via another resist mask suitable for the patterning process.
In the conventional technique, two different and independent patterning processes are required, so that the total fabrication process becomes complicated. In addition, in the fabrication of the second patterned thin film, it is required to position the patterning mask precisely for the first patterned thin film. In this point of view, the total fabrication process also becomes complicated.
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 9-96909
[Patent Document 2]
Japanese examined patent application No. 37-18015
[Patent Document 3]
Japanese unexamined patent application No. 6-242602
[Patent Document 4]
Japanese unexamined patent application No. 2000-63466
[Patent Document 5]
Japanese unexamined patent application No. 6-273934